ATTENTION: Lower Merion Taxpayers: Look At Coatesville’s ONE MILLION DOLLAR EMINENT DOMAIN LEGAL BILL!
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/chester_county/12449495.htm
So who missed the excruciatingly good article by Reid Kanaley buried on page B4 of the Tuesday, August 23rd Philadelphia Inquirer here in suburbia? We almost did, and boy, are we glad we stopped to read every article today. Lower Merion taxpayers, if Lower Merion persists in their eminent domain warfare say a big hello to your taxpaying future because, this is a taxpayer’s burden, these municipal quagmires of bad judgement and greed.
The teaser on the article titled “Coatesville shortfall could reach $7 million� is “THE DEFECIT WAS BLAMED ON HIGHLY OVERESTIMATED REVENUES.� And why is that? Because Coatesville was betting literally the farm, the Saha Farm (www.saveourfarm.com). The Saha Farm was so beautiful Coatesville wanted to steal it via eminent domain. The Sahas are living proof that you CAN prevail over greedy government and eminent domain. Now, c’mon, go ahead, ask us what else…
The Inquirer reported new city Manager E. Jean Krack alleged the fuzzy math shortfall issue was created by former City Manager Paul G. Janssen, Jr. who resigned in April to accept the job as “Norristown’s municipal administrator� and is QUOTED as saying “the person responsible for the revenue side of the city budget was the city manager.�
Hmmm, Mr. Janssen’s specialty must be teaching failing towns to drown. Poor Norristown, they already have enough problems!
We do have to raise the following question: is the Coatesville City Manager’s Job the equivalent of Lower Merion Township’s Township Manager Job? If so, does that make Doug Cleland the Paul Janssen of Lower Merion?
So, Coatesville owes lawyers in EXCESS of ONE MILLION DOLLARS. In Lower Merion, the bills as per the unofficial tabs folks like the newspapers are keeping indicate that Lower Merion has spent in EXCESS of ONE MILLION DOLLARS on justifying eminent domain in Ardmore, and they have YET to rack up the legal fees…how much is that pricey outside counsel going to cost? Because if you ask us, there is no way Lower Merion won’t get juiced over those legal bills. We don’t believe the PR billable hourly rate fairy tale as spun by our township a few months ago (funny, how that story and topic just sort of disappeared).
So Lower Merion taxpayers, have we lost you or are you on board with the logic? Do you want to continue to sit back and say your buddies at the township sitting up on that podium are not doing wrong by you? Keep it up, and you will sit and watch Lower Merion eat way more in bills than Coatesville. After all, you know how COMPETITIVE this township is. You think they want to be outdone by humble Coatesville on municipal spending? !
Taxpayers in Lower Merion had best perk up, Coatesville’s woes as reported today is as clear a crystal ball as can be had. If the residents of Lower Merion sit back and coast, and not demand a halt to eminent domain permanently, and ask for a moratorium on every, single contentious project until they have a new master plan, you are going to be buying yourselves a lot less because your TAX BILLS are going to KILL your WALLET. What price are you willing to pay for that AAA rated community?
Just like you have seen the proof in the pudding in Coatesville, Lower Merion residents need to revolt before the egos in Lower Merion send us all to the poorhouse to keep the residents of Coatesville company. After all, Coatesville didn’t have to be so in debt: piss poor judgement and bad municipal planning got them there.
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/chester_county/12449495.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Moral of this story? Save money, support the Save Ardmore Coalition.
www.SAVEARDMORECOALITION.org
